Pluto Airmobile Submarine
Operational History The long time rival to Westwood, Relic Aerospace, barely even considered the Pluto a rival to their own Commanche. The Commanche's chief purpose was close air support for ground units on the offensive. Highly manoeuvrable, it was effective against ground units of most types, especially infantry and light vehicles, which were easy prey. Prototype appeared before the eyes of Relic, they were simply stunned at the sight of it. The two were required to perform three tasks, deciding which project would become the primary assault helicopter of the Syndicate. The proving grounds for the projects would be the Galapagos Islands. The tasks were to get past a line of anti-air batteries unscathed, to destroy the fighting capacity of the enemy force, and to sink an outdated cruiser manned by the local militia. The Comanche completed the first two tasks within the required time frame, but failed to sink the cruiser that was prepared for an aerial assault. When the Pluto was ordered to accomplish the same tasks on another island, it dove into the water and vanished from sight. Relic began to celebrate their victory, as the first Thebes anti-air platform collapsed all of a sudden. Aghast with disgust they stood still as more and more of the defensive perimeter was washed away by the waves. The top of the Pluto emerged from the deep as the roar of its engines threw the sea about. As the mighty submarine rose from the realm of Poseidon, the Westwood team simply stood back and ate Burger Kong's Mighty Joe Buns. The mock Empire base was simply a walk in the park for the Pluto as it simply strolled over every structure, and rained bombs until the occasional onlooker could no longer distinguish the pile of bombs from the building itself. Only the Pluto was distinguishable after the blinding blast of what was an operational sea base. When the cruiser came within the range of its Tartarus torpedoes, the Pluto would simply land in the water and vanish beneath the waves. The cruiser capsized as the Pluto emerged from the sea. With all tasks completed by the Pluto within the minimum time frame, the Westwood team simply discarded their trash and proceeded to board their creation on its return voyage to the La Canela Sprawl. The Pluto is a monument to the ingenuity of the Syndicate. The effectiveness of its torpedoes against sea and air targets makes it truly one of the most formidable weapons platforms ever conceived. If it were to encounter anti-air from the surface, then the pilot could simply either fly over the target or run away knowing that either way the hostile will soon be unable to continue their actions against the corporation. A ducted fan design was created to allow the propulsion and lift of the Pluto while in the air or underwater. The ballast system was also modified to compensate for the intense pressure of the Pluto's Sudden Emergence System from the water. However as a result of physics and the limitations of the Pluto's frame, the Pluto needs to surface in order to use the SES and needs to land in the water before submerging. Tactics Has minimum range. Does splash damage. Riptides and the like are not affected. Cluster bombs will not work on buildings. The commander should note that although the Pluto has the ability to fly, it is incapable of reaching great speeds as a result of both the extreme weight of the armament, and the awkward design of the vessel itself. The Tartarus torpedo will also have a slow reload time as a result of its awkward deployment mechanism. The Pluto is far faster under water than in the surface. Category:Units